Series: Psalms
Title: The Just Deliverer
Text: Psalm 7: 3-5
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Date: October 2, 2011
Have you ever been falsely accused? Have you ever been pursued—persecuted—by one who would prosecute you unto death? Have you ever found yourself totally helpless to justify yourself?
David experienced that. There are so many ways the Lord uses to draw his people unto himself—to graciously make us commit our cause into his hands—false charges is one more way.
Proposition: The only way for a sinner to be just with God is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the Just Deliverer. We see a picture of Christ in David.
Psalm 7: 1: O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
Our text is the following:
Psalm 7: 3: O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; [iniquity is that which is not equal, unjust. 4: If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me;…5: Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
I. THE BELIEVER TAKES SIDES WITH GOD
David is not saying he is sinless. He knew he was a sinner
Psalm 32: 5: I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Psalm 38: 3: There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
But charges had been laid against him to king Saul which were false. As David appeals to God he makes here a strong plea of innocence in these particular charges.
1 Samuel 24:9: And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?...11:…know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.
Yet, as David commits this whole matter to God to Judge for him, his plea is for God to do so in righteousness. The believer’s pleas is this:
Psalm 51: 4:…That thou [God] mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
David’s plea is for God to Judge for him—yet if David himself is unjust in the matter, he is ready to be corrected!
Psalm 7: 3: O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; [iniquity is that which is not equal, unjust. 4: If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me;…5: Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
Where does a believer get such a heart as this—to commit all to God who judges righteously?
1 Peter 2: 19: For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20: For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Application: There may be times when we are charged wrongfully. Even hereunto were we called—commit it to him that judges righteously. True humility is to take sides with God, even against our selves. True submission to God is a desire for the righteousness of God to be upheld—for God to Judge justly. Even as we ask God to take up our case, we do so ready to be corrected
Jeremiah 10: 24: O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
II. THE GOSPEL IS IN THE PARENTHESIS
The parenthesis tells us what David did. Here we see the grace of God. Here we see what Christ has done for his people.
Psalm 7: 4…(yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
Twice David delivered Saul:
· 1 Samuel 24: 1-15
· 1 Samuel 26: 7-25
Christ is the Just Deliverer.
Christ is the innocent one. David dealt uprightly in this matter. But Christ Jesus is the holy one. No iniquity was found in Christ Jesus—holy. Christ never rewarded evil unto any—never reviled when he was reviled. His enemies were more than the hairs of his head, but they were enemies without a cause.
Psalm 69: 4: They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
There is no cause in our God, there was no cause in Christ when he walked this earth, for any sinner to consider God our Enemy.
Like as Saul persecuted David without any just reason—without cause—every natural son of Adam considers the true and living God and our Savior Jesus Christ his enemy—and it is without a cause. There is no cause in God for any to be his enemy. No cause in Christ. God only does that which is right, just, good! We are the unjust. Our Lord is the Just One!
There is no cause in us for Christ to deliver any! Salvation is by the grace of God.
David was under no obligation to deliver Saul. Saul had done nothing to merit the kindness David showed him. That is the case with all whom Christ delivers.
Colossian 1: 21: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22: In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Romans 5: 6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Christ Restored GOD’S honor and glory. Christ Restores Life to dead sinners—through the Holy Spirit. Through Christ we born again in the image of God, which we lost in Adam. He does it in sinners without any cause in: (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
III. THE SURE WORK OF GOD’S GRACE IN THE HEART
The grace of God—his goodness—leads his children to repentance. We see a picture of this in Saul.
First, Saul confessed David to be more righteous than I. The effectual grace of God makes the believer confesses Christ is all our Righteousness. 1 Samuel 24: 16-20.
Secondly, grace made Saul ask for mercy. 1 Samuel 24: 21-22. The effectual grace of God—forgiveness, mercy, toward his elect who are enemies without a cause, makes the believer ask for mercy.
Thirdly, Saul received the sure word of mercy. David gave mercy 1 Samuel 24: 22.
When God speaks his word of grace effectually in the heart, the grace of God in Christ effectually melts the hearts of his children of mercy. Forgiveness in Christ is what makes God’s children fall down and worship him and serve him in newness of spirit.
Romans 2: 4: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Psalm 130:3: If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
Application:
First, believe on Christ Jesus—he is the Just One—the Just Deliverer--Christ delivers sinners who have absolutely no cause in us for God to deliver us. We have no just cause not to fall down on our face and worship him now--4…(yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
2 Corinthians 5: 18: And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 6:1: We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Secondly, in every case, amid every charge, true or false, commit your cause to him that judges righteously. Take sides with God and if we need to be corrected submit to the Father.
Romans 12: 17: Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20: Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Someone wrote: “To do evil for good, is human corruption; to do good for good, is civil retribution; but to good for evil, is Christian perfection. Though this be not the grace of nature, yet it is the nature of grace.”
Someone wrote, “Evil for good is devil like, evil for evil is beast like, good for good is man like, good for evil is God like.”
The believer has this sure consolation. We rejoice in this:
Romans 8: 33: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Psalm 116: 8: For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
Amen!